Matryoshka Off-Limits Chapter 58

Chapter 58 Crazy Love Season

Wen Shi didn’t know that Ji Yuanzhi was clearing his name. When he got back to the hotel, he went straight to the game trading platform.

The auction turnover was credited, amounting to 1,170. Considering the commission deducted by the game, the items ended up being sold for only 1,300.

“Indeed, these things didn’t sell well.” Players preferred to spend money on items that helped them fight monsters.

There was a knock on the hotel door. The manager brought a booklet. “This one’s better than the ‘Virtual World Guide.’ It contains experiences summarized by many experienced players and provides a detailed introduction to the game.”

Wen Shi smiled and said thanks. He leaned against the door and flipped through the material.

Showing weakness indeed worked. Without needing to think, he knew that Ji Yuanzhi had arranged for someone to send him the booklet.

“The key is the only way out, and you just had to gather three to leave the game. Keys might randomly appear in any instance…”

This had been mentioned in the previous guide as well. The game was clearly making players excited, telling them that their desires were just ahead. The booklet explained further that some players had already gotten keys, all from the harder instances. They knew of seventeen instances where keys had dropped, including【Escape from the Train】and【One Person’s Paradise】.

The common factor was that all these instances involved rules related to the Ten Commandments from the Bible, like not killing, honoring parents, and such. Some were death rules, while others were key to solving the challenges.

“The virtual world has ten major guilds, coincidentally named after the Ten Commandments,” Wen Shi pondered, “Speaking of which, I remember one commandment is ‘Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.'”

In the previous S-rank instance, the toughest part was the quality inspection area, but he summoned the teenager to break through the impasse, completely overcoming it. The key to summoning the teenager was to continuously recite his name.

“The mortuary’s key.”

Wen Shi took out the key and examined it carefully, noticing a tiny groove at the top.

The brochure displayed keys, each uniquely featuring an embedded gemstone. Could this have been one of those keys, albeit with the gemstone missing?

“In the future, for instances where this key is needed, I’ll have to pay extra attention.”

The mortuary’s standard equipment was a dead body. Wen Shi also possessed a skill called【Feigning Dead】. Just thinking about these two aspects sent a shiver down his spine.

With limited leads at hand, Wen Shi temporarily abandoned thoughts about this section and continued reading.

Quickly flipping to the end, he finally found the part that interested him: how to select desired instances.

The operation was quite straightforward: spend money.

In the in-game store, various scenes were for sale. Just spend points to buy them, and it ensured that the next instance would have that scene. With luck, this scene could even become the theme of the game.

Some items only had utility in special situations. For those players, purchasing scenes was a consideration.

Wen Shi thought for a moment and called Ji Yuanzhi.

At that moment, Ji Yuanzhi was still with the guild leader. The guild leader caught sight of the caller ID. His voice, muffled by the mask, sounded somewhat heavy. “Put it on speaker.”

He wanted to see what was special about this Pei Wenwei.

Ji Yuanzhi calmly took a seat and activated the speaker. Wen Shi’s clear voice immediately came through.

“I have something here. The game itself certified it as highly recommended for the Dark Wedding scene. How about we team up? You handle the scene purchase and teaming items. I won’t auction off the team slot this time. I’ll give you one for free. Buying the scene is more cost-effective than purchasing team slots anyway. Besides, this thing of mine costs five thousand points to use. After using it, it can ensure the safety of multiple people. Essentially, I’m not just spending points, but also putting in effort. You played the role of my bodyguard in the real world and invited me to the theme park—let’s say this evens out the favor.”

Liu Yun muttered to herself on the side, “It does seem quite worthwhile.”

Hearing it, she even felt like going.

Ji Yuanzhi: “I’ll consider it and get back to you later.”

The call ended, and he got up, looking at the guild leader. “I’ll go deal with matters in the guild first.”

The guild leader nodded.

Liu Yun took the opportunity to exchange a few polite words before leaving. She caught up with Ji Yuanzhi. It seemed like she wanted to join.

In this space, only the guild leader was left for a while. The eerie smile of his mask concealed his entire expression. After a good while, he shook his head.

In essence, Pei Wenwei wanted to mooch off a scene for free. The way he talked about it made it seem like the ones spending money were getting the better deal.

…

Each time players exited an instance, they could rest for ten days. The store sold delayed items at a steep price. The game had truly taken business to the extreme.

Looking out from the hotel suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows, the vibrancy of the virtual world lay before Wen Shi’s eyes. He stood there quietly for a moment, then, under the protection of the hotel security personnel, went out for a stroll. He had expected madness and agony to be the theme here, but it wasn’t the case. Trading districts, underground black markets… various industries were thriving.

Players who lived day by day without considering tomorrow had their own plans. Those truly disheartened were rare.

The accompanying staff explained insightfully, “The areas where newcomers and regular players gather might have a bit of a sour atmosphere. But in the main areas, not everyone’s idling around. Many people are actually enjoying themselves.”

Wen Shi halted. “Enjoying slaughter?”

“No, it’s about relishing the chance for a rapid rise. Many players use items and guild influence to network in the real world. Some even exchange game points for real-world currency,” the staff member smiled. “Take me, for example. Before entering the game, I was just a middle-aged person with no achievements, afraid to make waves. But now, even with the points the hotel gives me each month, I can lead a high-class life in the real world.”

Wen Shi frowned. “Isn’t there a rule that you can’t stay in the game for more than twenty-four hours at a time?”

“Travel passes can be used consecutively. The time limit is just a way for the game to squeeze more points from players.”

The staff member narrowed his eyes. “When you experience the respect and wealth that you could never have in your entire life, you might even become infatuated with this lifestyle, even driven by fear.”

Wen Shi wasn’t concerned about others’ pursuits. He just extracted what could be useful for himself quietly.

Many seasoned players in the game had already climbed to positions of affluence and prominence in the real world. As long as he could win over a few of them, he wouldn’t need to scheme much himself. It would be enough to ruin Pei Hongxin ten thousand times over.

With this thought, Wen Shi suddenly found the game’s nature wasn’t as abhorrent as he had thought.

After lunch, Ji Yuanzhi’s message finally arrived. He agreed to the team-up request.

【Liu Yun said she wants to join too. She’ll cover the teaming-up items.】

Wen Shi:【Alright, we’ll enter the instance in four days.】

……

Four days later, in the morning, the three of them directly met up in a hotel room.

Without much conversation, Liu Yun directly used the team slot item. After benefiting from summoning his parallel world self in the previous instance, this time Wen Shi proactively suggested to the game, “I request an early summoning.”

“Would you like to spend fifty points to enjoy the game’s recommended support?”

This was half the cost of the first use, showing that the recommendation points were adjustable. Wen Shi replied without hesitation, “Yes.”

【Target summon in progress.】

【Matching with an instance featuring the Dark Wedding scene…】

“Instance ‘Crazy Love Season’ successfully loaded.”

【Crazy Love Season: Normal Multiplayer Instance

Difficulty: S

Initial player count: 10

Plot Summary:

“Crazy Love Season” is currently the hottest variety show, tailor-made for single men and women. Since its establishment, the success rate of forming couples on the show has reached one hundred percent!

The show’s slogan is: “Even without emotions, you can still make connections. Even without love, we can make your heart race!”

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the debut of “Crazy Love Season.” In honor of this occasion, the production team has chosen to relocate the stage to Sealed Coffin Village, known for its primitive natural surroundings and authentic villagers. It is believed that this unique setting will undoubtedly offer the guests an unforgettable journey filled with heartwarming experiences!

As a token of appreciation for viewers, this episode would be broadcast entirely live. No script, no rehearsals. The goal is to authentically capture the participants’ real interactions and romantic experiences.

Role identity: You are Aaron. After leaving Frank Hospital, you went to Big Factory for a job. Currently, you’re working hard to save the employees of Big Factory.

On this day, you unexpectedly saw the recruitment call for “Crazy Love Season.” The phrase “primitive natural surroundings” deeply resonated with you. At Big Factory, where you hadn’t breathed fresh air in a long time, you decided to explore this place. Due to the lack of travel expenses, you signed up for this dating show, becoming one of the specially invited guests. You’re getting ready to board the production team’s vehicle to Sealed Coffin Village.】

Bumpy, shaky.

It felt unbelievably familiar.

Wen Shi opened his eyes, finding himself indeed on a large vehicle. The entire vehicle was decorated like a pink ocean, with rows of armrests adorned with little balloons, countless pink hearts stuck on the windows, and a strong fragrance of perfume wafting through the air. The host stood near the driver, seamlessly blending with the bus’ backdrop. He wore a striking pink suit, a comical top hat on his head, a crooked bowtie, and a wireless microphone clipped onto it.

“In five more minutes, we’ll arrive at the recording location for this episode—Sealed Coffin Village!” The host had a naturally sharp voice, and every movement he made was quite extravagant.

He spread his arms wide. “I can’t wait to see each of you embrace love firsthand.”

Wen Shi sat in a two-seater, with someone next to him.

He glanced sidelong and noticed the person was carrying a camera, likely an NPC. Unlike the host’s enthusiasm, the cameraman had a lifeless expression, staying motionless throughout.

With a quick scan, excluding these NPCs, there were exactly ten passengers. Liu Yun was closest to him, her expression quite complex. Wen Shi could somewhat understand her. Spending a team-up item to follow him into an S-rank instance was probably something she might regret for a lifetime.

“S-rank, huh…”

Even Wen Shi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Previously, he had good luck. Taking the shortcut by walking with Jian Qingrong and having his little brother’s support, he had luckily survived the instance. This time, it probably wouldn’t be so easy.

Five minutes later, the vehicle stopped right on time. The players then noticed that even the outside of the bus was adorned with banners from the production team.

All around was desolation. Clearly, this wasn’t the final recording location.

Since the show hadn’t started yet, the cameras hadn’t been continuously rolling. Liu Yun walked over to Wen Shi’s side with a forced smile. “I suspect the game is intentionally trying to push you to the limit.”

As a newbie who had only done two instances, being directly placed in an S-rank instance was hard to justify, no matter how you looked at it.

Wen Shi pondered for a moment and then shook his head unexpectedly. “Not necessarily.”

He proposed a hypothesis. “It might be because I easily handled other low-level instances that featured the Dark Wedding scene.”

Xie Tangyan’s【One Strike Flattens All】was enough to easily defeat low-level instances.

Among the ten players, apart from Ji Yuanzhi and Liu Yun, all were strangers. The instance’s introduction mentioned it was a dating show, making it practically impossible for two players to form a pair.

“I wonder what kind of trick they have in store for us in this matchmaking show,” a player nearby said with an unpleasant expression, voicing Wen Shi’s thoughts.

The host suddenly clapped his hands. “Please follow me.”

Ahead was a narrow mountain path, impassable for the bus.

The group carefully walked along the mountain wall to cover the last stretch on foot. Wen Shi observed that the cameraman didn’t even seem out of breath throughout. He clearly possessed a strength beyond that of normal humans.

There wasn’t much interaction among the players on the way. Upon bypassing this mountain path, a village came into distant view.

From an elevated vantage point, the village appeared rectangular when gazed upon from above. The rooftops shared a uniform color, with a slight elevation at the front gradually tapering down towards the rear. At first, it didn’t seem like much, but combined with the name Sealed Coffin Village, it inevitably conjured the image of a coffin—higher at one end and lower at the other.

Pitter-patter.

Rain suddenly started falling from the sky. The host waved. “Quick, let’s all run.”

A makeshift stage had been set up in the village. As if they knew it would rain today, they had erected a canopy ahead of time. The stage had a circular shape, currently unlit, so its effect was hard to tell.

The audience seats below accommodated about a hundred people. The rain grew heavier as terrifying thunderclaps occasionally echoed from the sky.

Makeup artists hurriedly worked on the players’ appearances. The host explained the process on the side, “In a little while, twenty candidates will stand on the stage. You just need to take turns coming on stage and showing your face. If a candidate is interested in you, they’ll bring a pink rose with a number. Whoever you like, you keep their rose.”

A player expressed surprise, “Twenty candidates?”

“Of course, we’re a show with a 100% success rate in matchmaking! We’re determined to help each of you find someone you like.”

The players then understood that this success rate applied only to them.

Ji Yuanzhi: “Out of the twenty, how many are male and female?”

The host’s face suddenly fell, reprimanding him, “Does gender matter? Remember, love knows no gender, it can transcend life and death.”

The flash of lightning from the sky illuminated the host’s pale face. The words “transcend life and death” felt like a gust of ominous wind that seeped into every player’s soul.

At 8 PM, the villagers finally appeared. Each of their clothes was embroidered with the character for ‘longevity’. They had expressionless faces, quietly walking under the canopy and taking their seats in an orderly manner.

Players had no designated spots and had to stand closest to the stage.

At half-past eight, the cameraman found his position and nodded at the host.

The host quickly dabbed some powder on his face and hurried onto the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen watching at home, the special 10th-anniversary episode of ‘Crazy Love Season’ is about to begin! First, let’s welcome the twenty candidates of tonight.”

The participants were divided into special guests and candidates, with the players falling into the former category.

On this pitch-dark rainy night, another car arrived.

At fixed intervals along the car’s sides, white flowers were attached. At the front of the car, a massive wreath was tied. People, both young and old, emerged from the car.

Wen Shi raised an eyebrow. A hearse?

The twenty candidates took turns stepping onto the stage, passing by the players. A few of them made subtle throat movements when they walked past.

Wen Shi was familiar with this movement. In the previous instance, when he was transformed, he felt insatiable hunger, causing him to unconsciously perform this motion.

The stage’s spotlights varied in color, casting an eerie glow on the candidates. It was an indescribable strangeness.

These participants were dressed far more fashionably than the villagers from Sealed Coffin Village. They seemed to belong to different eras, with some wearing red jackets and others donning tank dresses. Their chests bore numbers from one to twenty. Familiar with one another, they exchanged hushed words intermittently. As they conversed, they kept their eyes fixed on the players below, their chilling smiles barely disguised even when they covered their mouths.

While Wen Shi was observing the participants on stage, he noticed Ji Yuanzhi had silently approached him, and most players had gathered around. Except for team battles, in the early stages of an S-rank instance, they were still willing to share opinions to verify their judgments and avoid death rules.

A petite girl with fair skin fearlessly locked eyes with the participants on stage, observing their appearances. “Numbers three and five aren’t alive. They hardly seem to breathe.”

Her talent was her eyesight, allowing her to see every detail of the people on stage clearly.

After speaking, she immediately turned her gaze to Ji Yuanzhi, who had a significant reputation in the game world. He wasn’t just of interest to the girl. Other players were also curious to hear his thoughts.

“Those two elderly people probably aren’t seeking matches for themselves. As for why their children can’t come personally…” Ji Yuanzhi trailed off with a cold laugh.

The group pondered, then shifted their gazes to Wen Shi, their expressions becoming complex.

They didn’t know Wen Shi personally, but they were familiar with the rumors about him. His appearance and player number had long been circulated. In a way, Player 460872 had become a celebrity in the virtual world.

Wen Shi’s focus remained on the game, and he didn’t hesitate to share his insights. “Among these twenty participants on stage, there are both living and deceased individuals. Players who choose the deceased ones might be matched in a Dark Wedding. That’s why this segment is about striving to obtain the most flowers to have more choices.”

If they ended up with only flowers from the deceased, they would face significant risks.

Dark Wedding was information Wen Shi had known for a while, but apart from Ji Yuanzhi and Liu Yun, others were unaware. Hearing it now, they thought it might develop as he suggested.

A player tried to lighten the mood, “They say marriage is the grave of love, and now we’re really entering a grave.”

The stage speakers suddenly vibrated, and the enthusiastic background music almost made him jump.

The host shouted passionately, “Please welcome our first special guest of the day, Lin Fei!”

This was Ji Yuanzhi’s character identity. Being the first to go onstage could be good or bad, but overall, it seemed a bit disadvantageous.

The host held a stack of small cards and introduced as Ji Yuanzhi stepped onto the stage, “Lin Fei, twenty-seven years old, currently serving as the vice general manager of a high-end hotel…”

Before he could finish speaking, three of the candidates rushed forward to stuff roses into Ji Yuanzhi’s arms. An elderly woman with a cane was particularly quick, leaving the other two behind and becoming the first to present him with flowers.

“Lin Fei himself is also a world-renowned top magician!”

Six more candidates eagerly handed over roses.

Liu Yun whispered under her breath, “This identity seems to be generated based on the information from players in the game.”

Ji Yuanzhi had a hotel in the virtual world, and the magician aspect must be related to his skills.

“In trouble now,” muttered an unknown player next to them, “I’ve racked up a ton of debts in the virtual world.”

The corners of Wen Shi’s mouth involuntarily turned upward.

As a doctor with a factory and sanatorium, he knew he would definitely be swarmed if he went up there.

The host smiled warmly, “Mr. Lin Fei is really popular. Do you have a particular preference among them?”

Seeing the host not giving any time for contemplation, the players instantly became nervous. Now, they could only be certain about the issues with numbers three, five, and the two elderly people. They stared intently at the candidates, trying to catch some clues.

Surprisingly, Ji Yuanzhi didn’t hesitate much. He singled out the rose labeled number ten and gave a slight bow to the girl with big, wavy hair.

The girl walked up excitedly, wanting to give him a hug.

Ji Yuanzhi discreetly stepped back, avoiding physical contact. Before she could frown, he lowered his head to kiss the rose petal, then gently touched the back of her hand with the rose. Her face immediately turned red.

Seeing him choose number ten, an imperceptible disappointment showed in the host’s gaze. But he quickly regained his composure and said, “Congratulations, you’re a successful match!”

Players were shrewd, each deducing from the host’s subtle expressions that Ji Yuanzhi probably made the right choice. They didn’t know how to feel. The number of living people was limited, and picking one meant there would be one fewer.

“The next guest to take the stage is… Aaron!”

Liu Yun felt a bit worried for Wen Shi.

Wen Shi, on the other hand, brimmed with confidence as he adjusted his clothes and said to the players around him, “Watch me charm them.”

With that, he confidently, elegantly, and calmly walked onto the stage.

“Aaron, male, twenty-one years old, owns a factory and a sanatorium on the brink of bankruptcy…”

Wen Shi, who was about to step on the stage, froze.

“Aaron also has a big sister and a little brother at home. He’s kind-hearted, and despite not having much money himself, he has been supporting a friend’s elderly father.”

Several candidates who had initially taken notice of Wen Shi’s appearance suddenly lost interest. The host had a slightly malicious smile, “Mr. Aaron, you’re quite filial.”

Only the two elderly people nodded approvingly, the more they looked at Wen Shi, the more satisfied they became. He was the ideal child to marry off to their own children.

Wen Shi composed himself and said seriously, “To add on, I’m a doctor who practiced overseas and had the privilege of meeting an Earl.”

Well-connected and held a high social status.

Instantly, three men and two women among the candidates became intrigued. As they walked over with the elderly people, Wen Shi’s face once again radiated a captivating smile.

Just as the candidates were about to approach with the roses, an unexpected turn of events occurred!

“D-daddy.” Softly, with a hint of a stammer, the voice clearly reached the stage.

The players were taken aback, not noticing when a child had appeared below the stage. The villagers of Sealed Coffin Village finally dropped their wooden expressions and displayed astonishment.

Wen Shi subconsciously looked down and saw a scruffy child below the stage. The child was in ragged clothes, holding a bowl in one hand and propping himself up on the stage with the other, struggling to climb up due to his short legs.

The child’s features were almost identical to Wen Shi’s. He shook the bowl. “H-hungry.”

Wen Shi was nearly floored by being addressed this way.

A nearby female candidate was puzzled, “Is he your son?”

Wen Shi stuttered, “N-no…”

“He looks just like you, and you won’t admit it! Scumbag!” The female candidate shot him an angry glare and turned back to her spot.

No one was willing to help raise someone else’s child. As the green spotlight above the stage shone on the top of their heads, several candidates who had stepped forward retreated with dark expressions.

Looking around, Wen Shi saw the female candidates in the red jacket and suspender skirt. Since he stepped onto the stage, one rolled her eyes, while another even spat disdainfully. These were clearly the effects of the blood bride’s blessing. In addition, the five male candidates who had remained unmoved throughout, under the influence of the【Cutting Princess】aura had a visible reaction of tightly crossing their legs. Not even money could make them yield. The remaining ones who were still observing had expressions that were hard to describe.

Wen Shi didn’t have time to ponder this. He reached out to snatch the flowers from the elderly people who hadn’t reacted yet.

Be it a Dark Wedding or whatever, who cares? He just wanted to secure a spot in the matchmaking.

The elderly person went crazy, trying to stop him, and with his few remaining teeth, he cursed loudly, “Get lost! My son won’t be passed on to you!”

The other elderly person shouted angrily, “My daughter won’t take someone who’s divorced either!”

No one on the stage paid any attention to Wen Shi. The host was even more anxious than the people involved. “Crazy Love Season” had to achieve a 100% success rate in matchmaking!”

He tried to promote Wen Shi desperately, “Young, handsome, and wealthy, you’ll even get a child for free.” He picked up the child and said, “Look at how well-behaved and adorable this child is.”

The stage fell silent.

The live broadcast for the 10th anniversary episode absolutely must not encounter any problems. The host had no choice but to put on a forced smile and look at the elderly woman, “I remember your family is the least picky.”

“F—ck your great-grandfather’s ancestral grave, you @！#$…” The elderly woman’s shriveled lips smacked incessantly, spewing out a string of profanities without holding back.

The host was feeling like cursing too at this moment.

One of the reserved and quiet candidates suddenly spoke up on stage, “How about this? You let us see his complete profile, maybe there’s something of interest.”

Birth details, personality, health status, and so on. Each candidate had different priorities.

The host felt this made sense. He tossed the child away like trash and quickly went to fetch the information.

Wen Shi quickly caught the child. “Are you okay?”

The child held onto his bowl, surrounded by pairs of eyes that rejected him, feeling both wronged and uncomfortable, “Hungry.”

When the host returned to the stage, he anxiously opened up the detailed profile.

Apart from the earlier information, this person named Aaron had a factory where all the workers contracted a strange illness, resulting in a shutdown. His birth details were unknown. He enjoyed role-playing with accessories (like cat tails, bells, etc.). His big sister was a violent person, his little brother had an undisciplined lifestyle, and there was a potential brother-in-law with a family history of hereditary mental illness.

If Wen Shi had known that his playful comment about “one day having a brother-in-law” would be used to generate data, he probably wouldn’t have made such offhand remarks.

The host kept wiping the sweat off his forehead, hitting every sensitive point in this closed-off village.

Wen Shi stood by, holding the child and looking at him, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Daddy,” the child blinked his watery eyes.

Wen Shi had already guessed the child’s origin and comforted him with a gentle pat on the back, “It’s okay. This show claims to have a 100% matchmaking success rate, there will definitely be someone who will give us, father and son, a meal.”

Host: “……”

That is really not the case.

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